Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
High five for Dean!
Dean Danton celebrated ‘the sweetest one of all’ after winning his fifth scratch Canterbury GC Club Championship, the 36 holes George Cup.
He won the title by a stroke from defending champion Josh Bristow on Sunday, in a field of 112.
Michael Cunningham (h9) scored a superb second round gross 75 (net 66) for victory at seven under par in the handicap club championship Victory Bowl.
Danton had to hold his breath as Bristow lined up a 15-foot breaking birdie putt on the 18th green to force extra holes and keep alive his hopes of a hattrick of title.
But Bristow’s putt slid inches past and he duly tidied up to allow Danton to hole out for his first George Cup since he won four in a row between 2012 and 2015, with a winning two over par total of 144 (71,73). Danton was visibly moved as his father Bob and fiancee Jess brought out his six-weekold daughter Millie for victory embraces next to the 18th green and he joked: “I hope Millie was watching when I sank the winning putt.”
It has been a long, hard road back to another club
championship for Danton, who played a key part in the club’s 2019 East Kent League and Guilford Cup double triumph despite struggling for form and even the will to play.
“I just kind of fell out of love with it,” he said. “And when I found out Jess was pregnant the interest went even more. “The win wasn’t the reason I was emotional at the end, it was after seeing my dad Bob
bringing Millie over to me and that will always be a treasured memory. This is the one that means the most, purely because of what’s gone before and now I’ve got my little girl, this is the sweetest one of all.” Overnight leader Lee Tidy dropped to third overall in the net Victory Bowl, three shots behind Michael Cunningham and two behind second-placed Anthony Grove.
Jack Reed beat his previous best by seven shots to win his first men’s competition in Wednesday’s Stableford, with 41 points.
Fran Fearn (h16) scored an excellent 82, net 66, to win the Ladies’ Pollard Cup on Wednesday by two shots from Elizabeth Carlotti. Christine Bowles (h34) won the Lady Veterans Trophy on Thursday, with 39 Stableford points.